When everyday life is just too much

Time pressure, deadlines, big challenges in college or at work, the dual burden of work and family - stress is our constant companion. It is often increased by self-inflicted "leisure stress."

In principle, stress is not a negative thing, of course. The human body needs a certain amount of tension to achieve important tasks. In this case, we speak of positive stress (short-term/one-off). Yet we have lost what used to be an automatic rhythm of tension and relaxation, which is so important for recharging our batteries and being well balanced and able to perform.

Without an appropriate counter-balance, the many stress factors we confront every day generate constant tension, permanent fatigue and an unbalanced mental state. This kind of sustained burden is what we call negative stress.

If this continuous pressure is never relieved over an extended period of time, the consequences can be serious. Too much stress can cause crises in the family or with our partners, a sense of alienation from your own body, sleeping disorders, depression and psychosomatic illnesses.

Stress also increases the risk of heart and vascular diseases, and can lead to hormone imbalances including impotence problems and infertility. The immune system is also weakened, making the body more receptive to infections and tumors.

The World Health Organization WHO assumes that stress is a contributing factor in 80% of all diseases. Addictions, headaches and obesity are the most common health risks associated with stress.

This is why it is highly advisable to counteract stress in our daily lives actively and find ways of balancing it that can even be enjoyable.

Checking your situation

Virtually nobody can avoid stress completely. But you can take decisive influence to prevent and reduce negative stress, at least in part.

To do so, it is important to examine and change your own attitude and consciously build periods of relaxation into your daily routine.

The question is: How can you reduce stress factors to a manageable level - and react more appropriately and calmly to signals of stress?

Stress is often caused by lack of time. The mere feeling that the time available is not sufficient for the tasks to be achieved is enough to give your body the stress signal.

• Only plan as many deadlines as you can really manage. Plan time gaps between your business commitments.
• Write down in the evening what you want to achieve the next day. Then you no longer need to think about it at night.
• Set yourself time limits for your tasks. This helps you perform them faster and more efficiently - and win time for relaxing breaks.
• Always plan a lunch break in a calm atmosphere.
• You don't need to do everything yourself. Learn to delegate. This takes the burden off yourself and increases the motivation of your staff. The workload in your family should be distributed fairly, too.
• Can you find space for an afternoon nap in your daily routine? It has been proven to increase performance.
• Exercise and targeted relaxation keep you fit and protect you against illness. This is why you should consciously plan time for yourself - without feeling guilty towards others.
  

Relaxation techniques I

A wide range of activities result in palpable relaxation and active recovery, if carried out regularly. We present a few of them below.

Bosch BKK pays at least part of the cost of many training courses that teach you how to relax. The link "Relaxation Bonus" to the right of this article leads you to further information about the financial support we grant for certified preventive measures.

Deep muscle expansion according to the Jacobson method
(Progressive Relaxation)
This method derives its name from the doctor and scientist Edmund Jacobson and uses the interaction between mental and muscular relaxation. When we are restless and stressed, our muscles also tense up. Inversely, muscle relaxation results in mental relief.

Progressive muscle relaxation is easy to learn and can be used everywhere and at any time. It is especially recommended for people who find it hard to switch off.

To the right of this article, we present an extract from our audio CD "Active Relaxation," which you can order from Bosch BKK. It includes an exercise instruction with music, and an instrumental version for progressive muscular relaxation according to Jacobson.

Biofeedback training
Biofeedback training is a form of concentrated self awareness that can only be learned over a period of time. It is therefore recommended to take part in a course to start.

Targeted, intensive concentration encourages physical realignments that generate a physical and spiritual state of relaxation.

The principle of these exercises is to use certain ideas (e.g. "My arms are heavy, pleasantly heavy") to create pleasant sensations in the relevant region of the body and achieve a state of inner balance.

After regular training, a state of profound calm can be achieved in any situation.